Early voting starts for MSCS board election amid takeover battle

Sign up for Chalkbeat Tennessee’s free newsletter to keep up with statewide education policy and Memphis-Shelby County Schools.

Early voting is underway for the Memphis-Shelby County election that will seat two new local school board members as the legal battle over district control continues.

Voters will head to the polls on Aug. 6. Two incumbents, Michelle McKissack in District 1 and Joyce Dorse Coleman in District 9, are running unopposed after winning the Democratic nomination in MSCS’ first partisan school board primary in May.

But the Democratic nominees for the District 6 and District 8 seats, T.L. Harris and Tanya Frey, will each face an independent challenger. Local pastor and former teacher Frederick Tappan is running against Harris, and MSCS librarian Leigh Ann Scarbrough will face Frey.

Harris, who led a youth violence prevention program for three years, beat four other Democratic candidates by fewer than 200 votes. He was convicted on a felony drug charge 20 years ago while employed as a Memphis police officer. Frey, a longtime Memphis lawyer, won her race against one other candidate by a wide margin.

It’s unclear what the newly elected members’ role will look like after they assume office on Sept. 1. The state takeover law passed this spring by Nashville Republicans authorizes a new oversight board to seize control of key district decisions, including approval of the budget and school closures.

A federal judge temporarily blocked the state-appointed board two weeks ago, an early win for MSCS and Shelby County leaders who are suing over the takeover law. But earlier this week, Tennessee officials filed a request to lift that block, challenging the district’s claims of unconstitutionality.

As the lawsuit plays out in court, find out which local school board district will appear on your ballot, and learn about candidates’ stances on key issues below. Early voting ends on Aug. 1.

Bri Hatch covers Memphis-Shelby County Schools for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Reach Bri at bhatch@chalkbeat.org.